HAWKINGE CEMETERY

History Information

Hawkinge, two miles north of Folkestone, was the site of an aerodrome from which air liaison was maintained between the Royal Air Force and the British Expeditionary Force during the fighting in France and the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940. As long as communications remained open targets were selected in accordance with requests from the BEF and Hawkinge was one of the advanced re-fuelling bases when maximum range was required for operations over France. It was a fighter airfield for squadrons of No. 11 Group, and was so severely damaged by German bombing and machine gun attacks during the Battle of Britain that it had to be abandoned temporarily.
Hawkinge Cemetery is near the site of the aerodrome and most of the 96 Second World War casualties buried there were airmen. About a quarter were killed during the Battle of Britain. Most of the war graves are in a special plot east of the chapel, including 59 German graves, which are together in a group at the south-eastern corner.